This paper documents a pilot study designed to explore the ideas of high school students regarding the nature and role of theories, an aspect of the nature of science (NOS) that continues to be problematic for students, teachers, and the general public. Although there is a much greater emphasis on the nature of science in standards documents, curriculum documents, and textbooks than there was even a decade ago, those efforts focus largely on the nature of scientific inquiry with little attention on the profound influence of theories on the scientific enterprise and the perspectives of scientists. (Author)